Michael Oher Is More Valuable to the Team Than Perceived

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One of Baltimore's biggest issues against Denver was its inability to sustain drives. That can be credited in part to shaky offensive line play, which mainly occurred after right tackle Michael Oher left the game with an ankle injury.

Rookie Ricky Wagner took his spot in the starting lineup; however, Wagner's below-average performance in pass protection stalled several Ravens drives. Wagner had an impressive showing in the preseason, but Thursday night was a different story.

Perhaps, Oher is more valuable to the Ravens than what was originally perceived.

Arthur Brown Should Start over Josh Bynes

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Entering the game, the thought process at linebacker was that Josh Bynes would start, with the rookie Arthur Brown playing in most nickel packages.

However, Bynes was on the field for most of the game, even on obvious passing downs. The choice to keep Bynes in was odd, as he and Brown are completely different players, with Brown being the superior linebacker in coverage.

Brown had few opportunities, with most coming via blitzes up the middle.

Four Wide Receivers Isn't Enough Either

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Despite six wide receivers on the 53-man roster, the Ravens chose to have just four active for Thursday's game. That backfired quickly, when Jacoby Jones suffered a knee injury in the second quarter that kept him out for the rest of the game.

The Ravens had to operate on offense with just three wide receivers for the majority of the game, which is not a recipe for success.

Of course, the Ravens didn't know Jones would get hurt, but carrying just four active wide receivers is risky enough.

The Ravens Desperately Need Dennis Pitta

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The Ravens ran their offense primarily with just two tight ends against the Broncos, using Ed Dickson and Dallas Clark routinely.

However, the only thing routine when the two were on the field was drops, which reflected negatively for both of Baltimore's top tight ends. Dickson's drop issues have always persisted, but Clark's were surprising and unpleasant for the Ravens.

The Ravens Will Be Fine Moving Forward

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A 49-27 loss to start the season is as bad as it gets, but for the Ravens, the big picture looks much better than just one game.

Keep in mind, the Ravens played with a backup rookie right tackle and just three wide receivers for most of the game. They were facing a revenge-minded Broncos team, which probably would have beat the Ravens regardless of their personnel situation.

Last year, the Ravens had a similar regular-season loss to Denver (34-17, Week 15) and still won the Super Bowl.

There are still 15 games left to be played, and Baltimore has plenty of time to right the ship.